Telegraph-transmitter.



- PATENTED' JAN. 6,1903.

C. T. BOURK. TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER.

APPLIGATION FILED JAR. 26,}901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' no MODEL.

PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903.

0. T. BOURK. TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER.

APPLICATION I'ILED JAN. 26, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

THE Nouns PETERS KZIZVFNOTO-LH'NO" WASHINGTON, a c. I

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. BOURK, OF LIMA, OHIO.

TELEGRAPH-TRANSMITTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 717,966, dated January 6, 1903.

Application filed January 26, 1901. Serial No. 44,930. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. BOURK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Telegraph-'lransmitters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to telegraph-transmitters; and the main object in view is to provide a portable apparatus capable of transmitting electrical signals and adapted to be operated by a novice or student, who may thereby train his ear to the correct sounds of the difierent characters of the alphabet and other characters used in transmitting tele' graphic messages.

By means of the apparatus hereinafter described the beginner can produce the characters correctly on a sounder and become familiar with the sounds of the difierent characters without the aid of an instructor. The invention is thus of great benefit to persons living in remote districts or who cannot afford to pay a high tuition and is also specially useful for those who are unable to spare the necessary time to take a course of study away from home.

The detailed objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the ensuing description.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construc-- tion, combination, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete apparatus, illustrating the electrical connections. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the operating-board. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section thereof. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the brush or stylus. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 6 is a detail plan view showing a modified form of brush or contact-point.

Similar n umerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a portable operating-board, which may, if desired, be made quite small, so that it can be carried in the pocket. The operating-board 1 consists of a base 2, of wood or other nonconducting material, and is adapted to rest on a table or other suitable support, adjacent to which the operator may be seated. The base 2 comprises a continuous surrounding flange 3, which extends upward from the base and forms a pocket or holder, in which is placed a conductor-plate 4, of metal, said plate being equal in area to the entire space between the side and end portions of the flange 3, as will appear in Figs. 2 and 3.

Connected permanently to the conductorplate 4 are contact-points 5 and 6, the point 5 being of less area and length than the point 6, the parts 5 corresponding to the dots and the parts 6 to the dashes of the telegraph characters. The said contact-points 5 and 6 may be properly termed character segments, and all of such segments are permanently and electrically connected to and supported upon the conductor-plate 4. The character-segments are arranged in alphabetical order, as shown in Fig. 1, and are preferably arranged in vertical series, so that the stylus, hereinafter described, may be drawn in a straight line lengthwise of the board and toward the operator for producing the desired character on the telegraphic sounder. The tops of the character-segments are flush with the top of the surrounding rim or flange 3, and the spaces between the character-segments and the rim or flange 3 are taken up by a filler 7,. of non-conducting material. This enables the stylus to be freely drawn across the character-segments without leaving spaces or depressions into which the stylus willdrop.

Connected to the conductor-plate 4 at one end of the operating-board is a binding-post 8, and at one of the upper corners of the board is arranged another binding-post 9, which is mounted directly on the rim or flange 3 of the wooden base, so as to be out of electrical connection with the conductor-plate and character-segments, the first-named post 8 being in electrical connection with said parts.

The stylus comprises a suitable holder or handle 10, into one end of which is inserted a shank 11 of a metallic brush or stylus 12. This stylus is formed of a strip of thin metal, so as to be flexible, and it constitutes one of the contact-points of the apparatus. The brush or stylus is provided with a bindingpost 9, wire 14:, back to the stylus 12.

screw 13, so as to enable an electrical conductor or wire 14 to be connected therewith, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5. It is preferred to use a thin flat strip of metal for making the brush or contact-point but, if desired, the extremity of the flexible strip 12 may be provided with bearings for the reception of a small contact-roller 15, adapted to travel over the exposed surfaces of the contact-segments.

The operating-board and stylus are placed in an electrical circuit with a telegraphsounder 16,as follows: Starting with the stylus 12 the circuit passes through any one of the character segments 5 or 6, the conductorplate 4;, the post 8, wire 17, telegraph-sounder 16, wire 18, battery 19, wire 20, switch 21, The switch 21 is employed so that the operatingboard may be thrown out of circuit when not required in use.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that as the stylus is drawn across the character-segments said stylus serves by the means described to make and break the circuit, and this is accomplished without removing the brush or stylus from the operatingboard. Signals of any kind may be transmitted in the same way. The characters are stationary or fixed, and their relative arrangement may be learned in a very short space of time. After the operator becomes expert two styli may be employed, one in each hand, thus securing greater rapidity of transmis- S1011.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is s In an instrument of the class set forth, the combination of a base of non-conducting material having an upwardly-extending continuous surrounding rim to form a pocket, a conductor-plate of metal disposed in said pocket and equal in area to the latter, small and larger contact-points or segments connected permanently to said plate and corresponding to telegraphic dots and dashes and arranged in alphabelical order in vertical series, the points or segments being separated by a non-conducting filler, the upper surfaces of. the segments and filler being flush, a stylus having a non-conducting handle and a thin flexible metal brush to engage the segments, and electrical connections for the stylus and metal plate in the pocket, said connections including a telegraphic sounder.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES T. BOURK. Witnesses:

O. E. SoHELL, FRED. G. E. DUFREME. 

